Hearing his phone ring and seeing the sorrowful expression on his face, I pulled my hand back and sighed heavily. The wine was placed on the table just as he excused himself, and I was instantly annoyed. At the same time, I was happy about the interruption. Talks of sex always ruined my mood.
“Baby, you’re going to kill me, but Cap called and?—”
“TJ, are you serious right now?” My elevated voice garnered the attention of the patrons who sat nearby. Thankfully, the soft music drowned me out for the most part. “We’re supposed to be having a nice date, a date where youpromisedwould be all about us and no interruptions.”
Sighing heavily, he pulled his chair back from under the table and mugged me. “Are we seriously doing this right now? You know how important this job is to me.”
“Oh, and I’m not?” I chuckled humorlessly, placing my wine glass down in front of me. I was pissed. “You treat me as if I don’t matter, and that doesn’t work for me. I bend over backwards to accommodate you, and I can’t get a dinner in return? Is this how it’s going to be once we’re married?”
I loved TJ, I really did, but there are times like this when I wondered if marriage was really something I wanted with him. I knew we both had demanding careers, but we still had to make time to prioritize our partner. I refused to always come second to his job because he never came second to mine.
“Let’s be clear, bending over is thelastthing you’re doing.” He murmured, but the expression on my face let him know he fucked up. “Baby, I?—”
“Go!” I said, snapping in a hushed tone, irritation setting in. “The best thing for you to do is leave before we give the people here a show tonight.”
Staring at me momentarily, he dropped his shoulders before pushing his seat back from the table. He walked over to my side and hovered, but I couldn’t stomach looking at him. Dropping a kiss on my temple, he said nothing as he left just as quickly as he came. I could curse myself for the lone tear I angrily swiped from my cheek.
“Um, is everything okay?” the waiter asked with a tone full of concern. Looking from the empty seat to me, I could see the hesitation on her face. “Would you still like to order?”
“Absolutely.” I picked the menu up. “I may be a little sad, but I’m never too pissed to eat.”
We shared a small laugh as I ran down my order for her. The tomahawk might not do much to heal my heart, but it was a start. While I waited for her to return with my food, I sat back in my seat and sipped my wine as I scanned the place. Soft jazz played as couples laughed and conversed with each other. I could see the love some of them shared, and I grewenvious. I wanted that for me. I wanted my partner to crave my attention and affection. The more I sat and pondered, the more I wondered if TJ was that man for me.
Something had to give with us, and quickly. Sitting alone in a crowded restaurant was not something I would make a habit of doing when I had a whole man. If I had to take myself on dates as if I were single, then I might as well be just that.
“One thing about you, friend… You’re going to have us in the fuckin’ ghetto.”
I glanced over my shoulder and couldn’t help but snicker at my assistant and best friend, Stacy. The disdain on her face was warranted as she covered her nose to mask the foul scent. She still didn’t have to say that.
“I won’t lie, though. I see the vision.” She nodded as she walked through the living room. “I know you’re going to make this home beautiful. You never cease to amaze me.”
Beaming from her words, I continued to watch my step as I walked through the run-down house I’d just acquired from the city. Grove Heights wasn’t the best area in town because of all the crime and drugs, but that didn’t mean the homes in the area had to be run-down and raggedy. Poverty-stricken areas weren’t the only places I purchased homes to flip, but it was where I felt I thrived the most. I loved taking the ugliest domain and turning it into someone’s personal castle.
“I was thinking we could remove this god-awful carpet and replace it with hardwood tile.” I pointed at the stained mess as we walked through the front of the home. “Nothing too expensive, but I want it to look as modern as possible.”
“And the walls?” Stacy asked as she jotted down notes. “I know damn well you’re going to redo the plaster.”
“That’s correct,” I called over my shoulder as I made my way into the kitchen. Now it was my turn to frown. The cabinets were either missing or hanging off. Not to mention, the entire sink had been snatched. “Why in the hell would you steal a sink?”
“Girl, we’re in the damn Heights. You better hope their asses don’t come in here and try to steal your little ass!” she fussed as she neared the kitchen. The clacking of her heels came to a stop as she stepped inside the disastrous area. “Girl, God is going to bless you tremendously because the way I would call the bomb squad to blow this muthafucka to bits! The roaches in this damn house are bigger than me. Hurry up and handle business and get me out of here.” She began to twitch as she scratched her arm. “Got me itching and shit. You owe me a new outfit and shoes too. I’m burning these as soon as we leave.”
Rolling my eyes at Stacy, I continued to assess the home. It was filthy with broken or boarded windows, stained walls and floors, missing doors, holes, and rodent droppings. The small, single-family house had been abandoned for years before the city purchased it, but it had been rotting away ever since. When I rode through the city looking for places to flip, I knew I had to have it.
“I was thinking I could knock this wall down to open up space for the kitchen.” I traced it with the end of my ink pen before I made my way back into the living room. I nodded as the wheels in my brain turned at the many ideas. “It shouldn’t be that hard to do.”
“How would you know what’s too hard when all you do is sit around, barking orders?”
Jumping at the sound of his scratchy voice, I turned and locked eyes with my older brother, Rowan. I watched him as he scratched his scruffy beard and eyed the place. He had his ownconstruction business, so whenever I needed something fixed or remodeled, I would naturally call my brother. If I were going to put money in someone’s pocket, it was going to be his. Although we shared the same father and were practically raised together, he and I had the weirdest relationship. It seemed as if he hated me at times.
“Nigga, you better make some noise the next time you come in here.” Stacy scowled as she flew from the kitchen with her small handgun at her side. “Your blood will fit right in with the rest of the fluids in this dump.”
“Anyway…” I overtalked her as I turned to face my brother. He was already irritated, and I didn’t want to make matters worse. “What do you think, Row?” I practically bounced on my heels as I gave him my full attention. “Do you think you and your team can fix this place up for me?”
“What do you think?” He scoffed as he toured the place. The stench of liquor hit me in the face as soon as he passed me and made his way down the hall. “The beams appear to be rotting, the walls have molded, and the boards on the floors are so weak, you can damn near stomp through them. You’re looking at damn near eighty thousand?—”
“For fuckin’ what?!” Stacy shrieked, causing me to snap my eyes shut. “Friend, get a damn bulldozer and knock this place to the ground. This shit isn’t worth?—”
“Write me up a contract and send it over.” I raised my hand to cut her off. “The sooner we can get this done, the better. Whatever you and your team need, please let me know. Thank you.”
